The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for switching an optical connector and, more particular, to a method and apparatus for momentarily switching the optical connector.
Optical connectors are used when connecting optical transmission units which mainly contain optical fibers with reproducibility known per se.
Optical connectors made of plastic or metal attached integrally to the end of the optical transmission unit are generally employed as one of the optical connectors, which has centering engaging holes at both sides.
When the optical transmission units are connected to each other through such optical connectors, the front end faces of paired optical connectors are opposed to each other, and pins may be engaged with the engaging holes coincident to each other in the opposed state.
In an optical communication system, defects, alterations of connections or transfers of ray lines (optical communication cable) happen at a considerable rate of occurrence. A partial zone or an entire zone of the existing ray line is replaced by a new optical line at every time. Thus, the connecting works of the existing ray line must be executed at every time.
In this case, the optical transmission units for forming the ray lines are separated at the connection unit with the above-mentioned optical connectors, and the optical transmission units are again connected through the optical fibers.
When replacing the optical cable with the existing ray line of the active line state composed of the optical cables, it is requested to switch and connect the optical transmission units without disturbance in the transmission of existing information (optical signals).
For example, in order to suppress the interrupting time of an optical signal to 40 msec. or shorter of the maximum allowable time, it is necessary to complete the switching work with the optical connectors in an extremely short time within the allowable time.
However, it is common to connect optical transmission units through optical connectors or separate the optical transmission units at the connection units of the optical connectors depending upon the worker's skill. Even skillful worker ordinarily takes several seconds when disassembling the optical connectors of the connected state and then reconnecting the disassembled optical connector with an optical connector prepared separately. Information (optical signals) is interrupted in the existing ray line during the period.
The switching of the optical connectors is described as being mechanized or automated so as to shorten the replacing work, but a desirable method and apparatus for replacing the optical transmission units has not yet been provided at the present.